Chelsea reach 'agreement' over £54m Liverpool 'target' as transfer spree continues

Chelsea have reportedly agreed a deal to sign Wolves attacker Pedro Neto, who has been linked with a move to Liverpool in the past.

The Portuguese international has been a key figure for the Midlands club over the past few years and was one of the leagues best creative outlets last season. His form saw him produce a return of two goals and nine assists in just 20 games last season but two separate hamstring issues ensured he spent the majority of the season out of action.

Still, during the peak of his powers when he managed eight goal contributions in eight games early in the season, a report from the Standard claimed Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham were all huge admirers of the 24-year-old. With talk over finding the potential future Mohamed Salah-replacement, his name constantly cropped up.

That move looks unlikely to ever occur now as David Ornstein of the Athletic has confirmed Chelsea have agreed a £54m fee with £3m in potential add-ons with Wolves. It is a similar fee to the one reported by the Standard over six months ago and it will be the ninth player that Enzo Maresca has welcomed to the club since succeeding Maurcio Pochettino. It ensures that their over-bloated first-team squad could rise to 44 players.

It was a move that Liverpool were most likely cautious to make given his poor injury record; spending such a fee from FSG’s end would require said player to be reliable, consistent and a deal that had limited risk attached. Across the past three seasons, Neto has averaged a total of just 17 games a season and it looks to be a big risk at £54m for Chelsea in terms of his availability.

Liverpool already boast a strong five-man attacking frontline that has the likes of Ben Doak and Fabio Carvalho in reserve. Last season saw their seniors flourish in front of goal and Arne Slot will require them to do so again. Despite the attractive reports of potentially signing the likes of Newcastle United’s Anthony Gordon, Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams and other young forwards, they are well placed with their current set-up, both from a quality standpoint and the relationships they all have with each other.